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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hand · stand · lie · mark · stock · drill · content · deal

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mark — a grade
  3. hand — help
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. content — the amount
  7. drill — army training
  8. lie — to recline
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stock — shares
  15. stand — to bear
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. hand — in cards
  18. stock — goods
  19. content — happy
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mark — a trace
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. drill — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com